What's Rightfully Hers
One Shot
Penny sat alone in her apartment for the rest of the night after Leonard told her about Prya's request to stay away. She's been trying to decide on weather or not she should just pack up and leave like Leonard suggested, although he didn't really want her to leave, it was just to satisfy Prya. When Penny looks at the clock again, it shows 4:30. She knows that Amy and Bernadette have not gotten up for work yet, but she calls them anyway.
"If I call Bernadette, she'll just be mad at me for waking her up an hour and a half early. Amy, would be the one more likely to show up if I needed her. I'll call Amy instead." Penny says to herself, while setting a box aside that she had gotten the previous day. As soon as Leonard told her what Prya had said, she went to grocery store on her way to work, and got a bunch of boxes. She's already given her two weeks notice. The one thing about Penny that no one knew was, if she's told to get out, she does it, full force.
"Penny? Is everything okay?" Amy, who's still in her groggy state, asks upon answering the phone.
"No. I really need you to come over please. I hate to bother you with this so early in the morning. I've not even been to bed yet." Penny tells her.
"No explanations needed. I'm coming. Just have the coffee ready and give me a few minutes to get up and get dressed okay." Amy replies. Penny tells her to take her time, and she goes to get the pot of coffee ready, and get back to packing. While she's in the kitchen, she hears a knock at the door. She knows that Amy couldn't have made it across town that quick and when she answers the door, Leonard's there.
"Don't worry Leonard. I'm leaving. I have a lot of work to do so if you'll excuse me, I have to go." Penny smarts to him.
"Penny, hang on. I was only kidding when I said that yesterday. I didn't mean for you to really leave. I guess you could say that Prya's just afraid that if you're over at the apartment all the time, she's going to lose me. She's very insecure. Please, don't leave." Leonard almost begs.
"Someone tells me to leave, I leave. No ifs, ands, or buts. Tell your new little bitch, that she never had any reason to hate me cause I have done nothing to her, and you know that. She wants me gone so bad, she's got her wish." Penny says, and she closes the door on him. She figured he'd just go back across the hall but, he opened the door to finish their talk.
"It's what she wants. Not me. I want to continue being your friend. Long distance friendships are rough. Where are you going to go? What will you do? You don't have any money to move." Leonard tries to reason with her.
"What she wants, but not you? Wow. You really don't get it do you? She's controlling you. Before long, she's going to start telling you what you can and can not do, where you can and can not go, what you're allowed to watch on TV, what you're allowed to read, who you're allowed to hang out with, and even picking out what you're going to wear each day. The sad thing is, you're letting her do it. I have to get back to work. Good bye Leonard." Penny replies, not realizing that Amy's shown up already.
"Penny? What's going on?" Amy asks from outside the door. Penny lets her in after Leonard goes back across the hall, and she sees all the boxes.
"I've gotta get out of here. I'm going back to Nebraska. Not sure what I will do out there but, anywhere's better than being here and having to see him every day. I made a mistake Amy. I should have never broken up with him, and now, he's with a woman who's controlling him, and there's nothing I can do about it. Oh God Amy, what do I do?" Penny explains, and she breaks down, literally crying so hard, that she's on her knees on the living room floor, with Amy down there by her in an instant. Amy wraps her arms around her best friend, rocks her, and cries with her. Sad to say but, that moment with Amy holding her while she cries, was the first actual loving hug, she's gotten since her and Leonard split. Amy gets her calmed down, gets her to relax on the couch, then she goes into the bedroom, gets her phone out, and calls Prya, then has Leonard to come over once Prya arrives.
Later that same day, everyone else is already at work while Leonard, Prya, and Amy, are in Penny's apartment.
"Why are we here? Did you not get the message when we asked you to leave him alone?" Prya asks her. Penny just stands up, walks over to Prya who's standing by the door, grabs her by her throat, slamming her up against the wall, and she says, "Yeah bitch! I got the message. Now I have one for you. Leonard is my man, not yours! I messed up in letting him go, and I'll be damned, if I'm going to sit by and let you control him. Okay, he's not with me anymore, fine. I accept that. It's his choice on if he would ever want to be with me again but, you are not going to be controlling. Telling him you don't want me around. Next thing you know, you'll be laying his clothes out for him each day, telling him where he can and can not go, who he's allowed to hang out with, and I'm not going to have that. Go over to that apartment across the hall, get whatever of your shit that's over there, and get the hell out of this apartment building and off of this property. Like I said before. Leonard is my man, not yours. I'm taking back my rightful spot beside him."
"Pretty powerful words Penny." Prya says, almost crying.
"Yeah, that's right. They have merit too. I'm taking back what's rightfully mine. Get out of here, and don't you ever come back. No more video chatting, no more phone calls, no more e mails or text messages, or letters, or cards during the holidays. I want you to disappear Prya. If I ever see you around here again, if I ever hear you've tried to contact any one of us other than your brother, or if I find anything in our mail from you, I'll fly over to India and kick your ass so bad you won't believe it. Now go on. Get your ass out of here." Penny tells her.
"Can she really do that?" Leonard asks.
"Yeah. She can." Amy replies, who's about to cry tears of joy, knowing her best friend won't be leaving any time soon. Prya just stands there, finally out of Penny's grasp, looking at her.
"Go on. Get your ass out of here." Penny says again.
"This isn't over." Prya replies.
"Yeah, it's over." Penny tells her. Prya looks at them all, wipes a couple of tears away, then walks out of the apartment, and Leonard has a smug little smile on his face.
"How's that for fighting for love?" Penny asks him.
"Woman, you are good. I can't believe you did all that for me. You must really love me. God knows I love you. Will you marry me Penny?" Leonard asks, and Amy starts jumping around the room with excitement and hugging them both.
"Yes Leonard. I will marry you. Don't you leave me again. I'm not going anywhere, I promise. Amy, help me unpack please?" Penny replies, then when she asks Amy about helping her unpack, Amy's already working on her fourth box in putting clothes back in the closet and she says, "Screw work today. We're going for lunch and celebrating each other's friendship, and possibly family." Leonard just looks at her, then takes a hold of her around her shoulders, pulls her in to hug her, and says, "Amy, you know you're family. We love you girl." He kisses her on her cheek, and the three of them just share a group hug for the longest time. In that moment, Leonard couldn't be more proud of Penny for standing up to Prya, nor could he be more blessed to have someone in his life who cares about him and loves him enough to do so. He also gives his Thanks to God for having a friend like Amy, who's always there to help when it's needed.
THE END